A spokesperson for the broadcaster said pay-per-view programming is being scrapped because it has not proven as popular as subscription-based products during trials.

"Having trialled a number of direct-to-consumer options, we have taken the decision to not continue to offer rentals on ITV Player. ITV will continue to explore the best ways to get our content to our viewers, via free and pay routes," said the broadcaster.

"We have seen real success from our pay business, which is a key part of our strategy to diversify revenues.

"We have licensed our content to third-party platforms and services, launched subscription services such as ad-free content for iOS, and later this year we will launch our first pay channel, ITV Encore."